Which charcoal grill is best?


 
J

John Boehm

TVWBB Fan
I have a weber gas grill and a WSM, now its time to move on to a charcoal grill. I initially wanted a performer, but am also considering the BGE. Those of you who have used both could you give your opinion?
 
I do not have both but I do have the performer and love it. But if you are considering BGE I would advise you to look at Primo XL. If I ever buy a ceramic it will be a Primo XL, unless I stumble upon a deal too good to pass up on a BGE or other brand.
 
I like the Weber products better because they aren't so heavy to move around. My brother has a BGE and we almost had an incident when the wheel got stuck in a concrete slab crack. I am not sure if BGE are repairable or not and hope he doesn't have to find out. It was almost a very expensive mistake.
 
I have a Performer with an extension ring that I can cook indirect with 2 full grates of food for 8-10 hours. I of course use it for high heat grilling too. I also have a large BGE that I use pretty much just for over nighters. People rave about it as a grill, but to me that's not it's best feature. Great smoker yes, great grill no.

If you want something to grill on, get the Performer. If you want something to do long, slow cooks I'd say get a ceramic. If you're happy with the WSM, I'd stick with it unless you have some extra change and just want one.
 
Mine is the best grill......a performer.....if somthing happen to it I would be looking for another tomorrow.
 
My Ducane gasser is very lonesome since I got my 12 year old SS performer from CL. I keep waiting for the propane tank to need a refill. If I added a Cajun Bandit or Smoke EZ, i would have the best single weapon available.
 
I have a large BGE as well as several Weber kettle grills (and a couple of other smokers). My daily use grill is a Weber MasterTouch. I use it for high heat direct and indirect grilling and have never tried to use it as a smoker. I use the BGE as both a smoker and a pizza oven, but almost never as a grill. Since you already have a smoker and a gas grill, I'd recommend a Weber kettle unless making pizza is important to you. Then I highly recommend the BGE. Of course, you could have a lot of pizza home delivered with the money you'd spend on a BGE.

So, I'd say, if you like a variety of toys or cook pizza then get the BGE. If not, a Weber kettle will suit your needs and be a better value.

Bill
 
I don't have a ceramic and have never cooked on one. However, I've got a couple of friends that use them; one has a large BGE, the other has the extra large Primo. The buddy that has the egg grills a lot on his Weber kettle and was wanting a Performer, if he hasn't gotten one yet. The other buddy talks about cooking on his Weber grills just as much as his Primo. He especially loves his big 26.75" OTG, and I hope to have one some day. My take is that if you already have a wsm, you ought to get a gas-assist Performer.
 
I used to have a WSM. I sold and invested the proceeds into #1 below.

This is what I have
1) Big Steel Keg
2) 22.5 Performer (couple years old, gas assist. I also have new style grate with skillet.)
3) 26.75 OTG
4) Smokey Joe (and a 32 qt steamer pot that I haven't gotted to cutting yet)
5) Weber Q220. This was bought specifically for picnics, tailgating and camping. Its easier to travel with this than a kettle.


The Performer is my go to grill for daily use. The right size most of the time. When I am cooking for more than just my family, I just light up more than 1 of the above.

I am disappointed in the 26.75, and have said so here on more than 1 occasion. Biggest complaints are the leg flanges and the $100 price tag on replacement grates. I'd really like to figure out a way to lose the 3 legs and mount it into a table like a performer.

I use the BSK when I want to go high, high heat or low & slow. Like the BGE, it can get really hot. It also can do low and slow very well. Temp control is not as easy as on the WSM but it is superior to the kettles. It is heavy, but relatively easy to tote around on its wheels. I bought mine a few years ago at an end of season sale for about $400. They have gone up in price. I love it for $400. For $700 it pushes BGE territory. It is much more solid and sturdy than a ceramic grill. If you get a ceramic, you need to pick a spot and then never move it again. I have the trailer hitch adapter for my BSK. It is quite fun to haul it around on the back of my truck. I also don't worry about the BSK cracking if I use it below 32 degrees in the winter. It uses way less fuel than a kettle because it is insulated, but it doesn't like K because of the K's ash content. Lump is best.
 
Darrel Williams said:
...I am disappointed in the 26.75, and have said so here on more than 1 occasion. Biggest complaints are the leg flanges and the $100 price tag on replacement grates...
Click to expand...

The grate is expensive because it's STAINLESS, and that's also why it should be a VERY long time before ever needing replacement.
 
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John Boehm said:
I have a weber gas grill and a WSM, now its time to move on to a charcoal grill. I initially wanted a performer, but am also considering the BGE. Those of you who have used both could you give your opinion?
Click to expand...

My grill inventory is very similar to Darrell's. I also have both the Performer and BGE, but my go-to grill in my Bubba Keg (basically same as the Big Steel Keg). Also like Darrell I have the 26.75" kettle - a 2012 model. I've cooked on it once, and will probably gift it to my mother, as she and that portion of my family do more large get-togethers than I do.

The Bubba Keg has been the perfect grill for most of my needs. It has 2 racks, which allows cooking up to 15 split chicken breasts, or 12-14 large burgers at one time. It came standard with a cast-iron grill, rolling cart and side shelves, also has a diffuser that sits below the lower grate. This allows both cooking levels to be used for low n slow. Lower grate is 18 inches, upper 16 inches.

I bought my large BGE about 3 months ago. It was in perfect condition - about 2 years old - and had been cooked on maybe half a dozen times. I paid only 400 bucks for it, so it was a deal I could not refuse. So far I've used it only once. I'll probably try it for my next brisket or Boston roast as it's supposed to be king of low n slow among kamado grills. 95+ percent of my cooking is at the 350-400 degree and up range, and the Keg does that effortlessly - even up to 700 degrees sustained for hours. But it's very difficult to keep in the low n slow zone.

The Performer is very versatile, and I've done everything from high heat burger searing to 14+ hour, single load low n slow Boston shoulders. The gas assist version (which I have - 2005 model) I consider to be the near perfect charcoal grill.

Earlier this summer - before acquiring the BGE - I held a pizza party with some friends over. We had pizzas going on both the Bubba Keg and the Performer. The Performer held it's on very well with the pizzas. Don't believe the hype that you cannot bake with a steel charcoal grill. Load up the baskets with hot lump, used a coupe of firebricks to support your pizza stone and move the pizza higher in the dome for better cooked toppings, and it'll do just as well as any kamado.

With all this being said, I think it comes down to price and what your intended use is. If cost is no option, and you plan to do more low n slows cooks, then I say definitely go with the BGE. Why? Because there's much less effort over the course of a 12-14 hr cook than with a Performer. Burn efficiency of a quality kamado is hard to match by any thin-walled steel grill. If you'll cook large items (like full packer briskets, large pork shoulders, etc) or price is of primary concern, then go with the Performer. You can do indirect and fit larger items, as it is a larger diameter grill. But you'll use more fuel and there'll be more tending. While it's great it's not a set and forget cooker.

Search Craigslist and see which one comes up at the best price - and go for it. You'll win either way.
 
Thanks to everyone for the good info. So far I love the WSM for smoking, and am content with it. What I'm looking for is a high-heat steak machine (pork tenderloin, rack o lamb, etc) and a good indirect cooker for poultry and such. The BGE sounded good due to the 700 deg ability, but if most feel that the performer can do as mean a sear, then perhaps I'll go that way. The BGE pizza ability is nice, but not worth the price tag for just that. Soooo, which is the master of the ridiculously hot steak sear?
PS- at this time I rarely cook for more than 4 people so grate size isn't an issue, yet.
 
John Boehm said:
Thanks to everyone for the good info. So far I love the WSM for smoking, and am content with it. What I'm looking for is a high-heat steak machine (pork tenderloin, rack o lamb, etc) and a good indirect cooker for poultry and such. The BGE sounded good due to the 700 deg ability, but if most feel that the performer can do as mean a sear, then perhaps I'll go that way. The BGE pizza ability is nice, but not worth the price tag for just that. Soooo, which is the master of the ridiculously hot steak sear?
PS- at this time I rarely cook for more than 4 people so grate size isn't an issue, yet.
Click to expand...

The Performer can get as hot as you want it to. Try dumping two full loads of red-hot, glowing lump in at one time and watch your thermometer! :eek:

Read my post prior to this about the Performer's capabilities with pizza. It can do just fine - it just takes a couple of firebricks, and both charcoal baskets LOADED (read "overflowing") with hot lump, large pieces preferred. Open top and bottom vents 100%. Even with a large pizza stone on firebricks it can still hit and hold 450 degrees at the dome for thirty minutes or more. Plenty of time for 3-4 pizzas.

Sounds like the Performer is the best option for you. If you're patient you can find one cheap on Craigslist - I only paid 40 bucks for mine and it's BLUE.

Though I love the plethora of grills I have, and have had in the past, if I could only have one grill for the rest of my life it would be some version of the 22.5 inch Weber kettle (be it Performer, One Touch Gold, or MasterTouch). Bang for the buck, they're impossible to beat.
 
Kettle/Performer is perfect to sear with. After the sear, you can rake the coals to one side to finish indirect. With a BGE you can't rake the coals to one side. You have to first wait for it to cool way down. You can buy a little time by putting in a deflector pan under a raised grid and finish them on the raised grid. Be warned though. Ceramic grills will flash back when cooking at med or high temps. New lump charcoal (as opposed to lump left over from previous cook) will give off volatile gases while the grill is getting hot. If you just swing the lid open, you're likely to get a fireball coming at you. You have to get used to wearing gauntlet leather gloves and slowly opening the lid, letting it burp, releasing volatile gases slowly. You can always spot guys who grill on BGEs in a crowd. They don't have any hair on their arms.
 
Unless you want to master the reverse sear, the kettle is the way to go for that super hot sear. Not only does a ceramic STAY hot a while, it takes a while to get that hot. I fill my chimneys and put them over the burner, ignite with the burner, and in no time flat, I've got a super hot grate over wherever I have coals.
 
For several weeks recently I was torn on what my first charcoal grill would be. I've used gas for a long time and last year bought my first smoker (elec. Bradley Digital - SOLD). Trying some of my pals' char-smoked meats made me realize I needed to get cooking with charcoal to get some good BBQ flavour. I was prepared to buy an egg but out the door I was 3 times the price of a Performer so a new gas-assist Performer followed me home.

This weekend I smoked some ribs, did some grilled chicken and baked potatoes all with a delicious char smoked flavour. Bouncing around Youtube there are guys and gals grilling, searing, smoking, cooking direct/indirect, pizzas, soups, breads, you name it ALL on a Weber Kettle. There are some cool attachments like the Kettle Pizza, Cajun Bandit, Hovergrill, Smokenator...etc... all products meant to enhance your Kettle and combined are still cheaper than an egg. For me, just starting into the charcoal world, I feel I made the right choice. Listening to all the comments from experienced Performer owners on this thread, I feel great about my choice.

I'm not going to argue that the egg will be an easier operation for a long-low cook and require less attention. And it will be more efficient cooking in the cold Canadian climate. But were those 2 qualities worth the extra $750 clams??? Not for me. Perhaps an egg will be in the line up one day but for now, the Performer is there and $750 saved buys a lot of meat and beer.
 
Which charcoal grill is best? To me that's like asking 'What screwdriver is best?', because it depends on what you will be doing with it.

That said, I have a Weber gas assist SS performer that I think is absolutely awesome.
 
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